The Throne of Broken Gods (Gods & Monsters, #2)

by Amber V. Nicole

“... the funding alone to set these cities to rights is draining us dry. Why, the number of sinkholes I’ve had to deal with lately⁠—” “Sinkholes?” Liquid stilled in my throat, the word rattling around in my brain.

“Yes. We evacuated the city of Pamyel because one formed beneath our factories. The risk of chemical spills was too high.” My heart skipped a beat. “Why haven’t we heard about any of this?”

She gave me a confused look. “You have. I sent the invoices to Vincent. He closed off the area, helped us clean it up, and even repaired the affected homes. Of course, this all happened at the same time the female assailant almost destroyed a city, so I’m not surprised it wasn’t at the top of his communications.”

Naw bc now I'm feelings sus' about vincent

“Look where the world opens.” Drake’s dying words played over in my head.

He wore a buttoned-up black jacket with silver studs at the collar. A long drape of light fabric cascaded over his right shoulder, seemingly out of place against the tough, thick material that made up the rest of his outfit. I knew what that garment represented—royalty. This was a King of Yejedin, and I recognized him from Samkiel’s description.

He was known as Tobias on Onuna, but on Rashearim, we knew him as Haldnunen.

Frantically, I searched for her and saw her sprinting toward the slowly closing portal. I leaped from the ledge, landing in front of her so hard my knees felt the impact. I gripped her shoulders and shook her, probably harder than I should have.

Weapons. That was why Kaden needed the iron. “It’s only one ingredient.” Santiago’s voice rang in my head.

“What did you do to me?” “Nothing. You are the one who charged head-first into Yejedin, thinking you are invincible. We can only be mortally wounded in our true forms. We are the weakest at our strongest. Nature’s little failsafe.” He smiled. “This will make keeping you here for Kaden so much easier.”

Only mortally wounded in our true forms. The words rang in my head. That’s why Roccurem told Samkiel he resurrected nothing. It would take more than that to kill me.

She is too strong now, too powerful. She will eat worlds.

What if he meant the villain that tortured xavier

I summoned my blade amidst the chaos, but Logan fell at my feet before I could enter the fray. My heart skipped a beat as Neverra landed on top of his bloodied and bruised body with a grunt. Neither looked at me, their eyes wide and transfixed, locked on the portal. I looked up, feeling her before I saw her. Dianna.

I dropped my sword and rushed forward, catching her falling form. Her body jerked at the landing, her hair spilling across her shocked face. She was filthy, covered in bruises and cuts, some still open and bleeding. The scent of her blood made me feral. She was battered, dirty, and pale, so pale. “You caught me?”

Once out of sight and halfway to our room, I asked her, “What do you need to tell Dianna?” Neverra glanced at her hands, and I could feel the sorrow eating at her through our bond. “Just a message her sister left.”

“You caught me.” The words she’s spoken to me after falling through that portal whispered through my head. She had returned to me, and I had caught her. Ethan had warned me back in that over-cumbersome mansion not to make her fall if I had no intention of catching her, and as I watched her sleeping form, I realized somewhere along the way that catching her and keeping her safe was my only intention.

once she learns.” My nightmares plagued me day in and day out. My essence ripped from my body as my light bled into the sky, the gates opening with armies more vast than ever before. Stepping through into another realm, and that damn frost that chilled me to the bone.

“Samkiel always told us when training with his father that you have to picture where you want to go in your mind. Think of a door leading to a place you want to go. You open it not with your hands but with your power. Visualize it and want it more than anything.”

“That sounds stupid,” I scoffed. “I don’t even know where to take us.” “Yes, you do.” Neverra met my gaze. “Think of the one place you would feel safe. Where we all would be safe.” Logan nodded, and I got the impression they were having a secret conversation. “Think of home.”

You will have a choice. One you must make. Choose out of selflessness, and the path is set. Choose vengeance, and well, the outcome will be devastating.

There was no way I could kill Kaden and save them. I had to make a choice: the revenge that I so desperately craved or the lives of two people Gabby had loved. They’re my friends.

It was mere moments, seconds, if any. I didn’t land on a hard surface or a road or another world. Instead, Samkiel caught me, cradling me against his powerful chest. His familiar scent filled my lungs, and something in me that had wound too tight eased. I had fallen, and Samkiel caught me. I’d wanted to take us somewhere safe, and the portal had led me straight to him.

I glanced up through the portal and saw the cavern full of blood-red eyes glaring back at me. Kaden’s expression, horrible and filled with wrath, was the last thing I saw before it closed. I wept. I had failed her. Again. I made a choice that wasn’t Gabby. Again. And I hated myself for it.

You won’t get another chance… Pain sliced through the side of my head. … fell in love with him while Kaden took your sister… I groaned and rolled over, covering my head with a large pillow. … remember that I love you… My head pounded. … seek revenge for the sister that’s not even of your blood… Voices whispered, begged, and screamed in my mind. You are running out of time.

I swore, tossing and turning. If I could just make it stop. I heard heavy footsteps, and then the bed sank next to me. A sharp pain pierced my brain again, and I whimpered. A large, warm hand settled on my forehead. I stilled, the dull ache melting away, leaving a soothing calm over my whole body. I sighed, feeling as if I might survive this, and fell back asleep.

Samkiel lifted his cup to hide his smile, but I saw it. “As I have said, Imogen is not my girlfriend, betrothed, or wife. You would know more about the failed betrothal if you spoke to me instead of my enemies.” “I don’t care.” I slammed the picture on the countertop.

He pressed me against the wall and leaned his body in close, his large hands gripping my wrists and pinning them on either side of my head. His breath washed over my cheek, his scent surrounding me.

I blew a strand of hair from my face and snarled up at him. “I will rip your throat out with my teeth if you don’t let me go.” “I was right the first time I saw you. All teeth, claws, and fury. Definitely a riztoure beast.” He leaned closer. “Pure hellcat.” I cursed him in Eorian.

“You weren’t planning to come back to me at all, were you?” I heard the pain in his voice, and a part of me ached, but I knew it had been the only choice. He deserved so much better. “No.” He nodded and turned away.

“You would have been happy,” I said to his retreating back. “If you would have just let me go and kept your warriors out of my way. This would have been over, and you could have made this damned castle for your rightful queen.”

Samkiel glanced at me over his shoulder, a small glow of silver dancing behind his storm-filled eyes. “You’re a fool if you think I would be ha...

Tears burned my cheeks, and I sobbed, the sound filling the empty palace. Reading the note and seeing the words written on the paper drove home the truth harder than watching the dust of her remains float away on the wind. She was gone, and no matter what I had done, who I had killed, she was not coming back. I was truly and completely alone.

I scoffed and rubbed my brow. Defeated would be the correct word for how I felt. “I fear the only emotions she feels in my presence are hate and anger.” “All that power, yet you still do not see.”

“They won’t touch her. No one will.” It was a vow, and I meant every word. “It is not her I fear for, Your Majesty,” he said and faded from the room, leaving me in quiet contemplation once more.

“Look, I get it. You lost someone too. Congrats, we’re in the same club. You want to bond? Cool. That’s fine, but your sister died nobly, protecting you. Mine was ripped from me because I⁠—” A lock rattled.

I wished I could protect him, keep him safe, and help him. “Regardless of what happens or what you decide, I will stand by your side. I will fight this fight with you. You will not be alone, and I will do all I can to keep you safe.”

When Vincent told me what was happening, I knew I would rip Onuna to pieces for you. If Kaden had taken you, I would turn mountains to sand to find you. I’ve reduced worlds to desolate wastes before, and I’d do it again for you.” He said it so calmly I didn’t think he knew what he was saying.

“I thought he had tried to take you again, and I wasn’t there. I am not used to that kind of fear, Dianna.”

And a lock on a door in a house rattled.

“Why are you doing this? Are you really trying to help me get my powers back? Do you really want to help me, or are you just that desperate to fuck me?”

“No!” he snapped. “Gods, Dianna, why is it so hard for you to believe that someone just genuinely cares about you?”

“Because they don’t!” I shouted, my voice breaking. “They don’t. I have lived a thousand years as someone’s weapon, someone’s thing. Everyone wants something from me, and the only person in the whole world who didn’t is dead!” My chest heaved, a dam thr...

“You knew about the ocean. You knew because I told you everything, and you brought me here, anyway.” “I know,” he whispered, “and that’s why I did.” I pushed at that ridiculously muscled chest. The impact hurt my wrists but didn’t budge him. “How could you?”

“Because I will not have you hate a memory so precious to you as my father did.”

Shock made me pause, my tears drying up as I stared up at him. “What?” “He burned gardens after my mother died. Anything she loved was gone. He shut down the estate and moved us away, locking away every single memory of her, growing cold, bitter, and merciless. Although he said he never did, he...

“I can’t,” I whispered. My heart felt like it was rupturing, sorrow threatening to drown me. “You can. You will.” He took a step back and held out his hand. “And not alone.” I looked at his outstretched hand. Those two simple words. Not alone.

“No one was there for me after I lost my father, my world. Not until you. I don’t want you to go through this alone. It won’t be easy, and there will be days you will feel like you don’t want to get out of bed, but I want to be there for you. Every day if you will let me.”

I reached out and placed my hand in his, finally ready to at least try. For him, I would try.

No matter how mean I was, how cruel, vile, and hateful, Samkiel saw me, and he cared.

peaked

Ah!!! Type-o, peeked**

A banging started on that locked door, making my head throb. I closed my eyes and rubbed my temples.